2019 Preliminaries Test

Go to 2019 Scripps National Spelling Bee
Back to 2018 Round 18 On to Round 2 Vocabulary

Info

Stage Word Count Value
Preliminaries 24 1 point each
Spellers Participating Spellers Eliminated Spellers Advancing Percent Advancing
565 0 565 100.0%
Description Target Score
The Preliminaries consisted of 12 scored spelling words and 12 scored vocabulary questions which counted as Round One, one scored vocabulary question for Round Two and one scored vocabulary question for Round Three. Spellers could earn a maximum of 30 points for correct spellings and responses on the Preliminaries Test.

These are the Round One words only; Rounds 2 and 3 Vocabulary are worth 3 points each.

To advance to the Finals in 2019, you’d have needed to earn at least 24 out of 30 possible points on the Preliminaries Test (including Round 2 Vocabulary and Round 3 Vocabulary) and spell correctly in Round 2 and Round 3. That would bring you to 30 out of 36 total points possible in the Preliminaries.

Spelling

Test Questions

1. A. grauck B. grawk C. grokk D. grok E. grock
This word is from an American literary novel.
(verb) to understand profoundly and intuitively : establish deep compassionate rapport with.
The spellers onstage _____ each other with ease because they have many shared experiences.
Please pay careful attention to the definition and part of speech. This word has a homonym or could be confused with a word that has a similar pronunciation.
2. A. dissiliant B. desilient C. desillient D. disiliant E. dissilient
This word is from Latin.
(adjective) springing apart; specifically : bursting open.
_____ pods help to spread the seeds of certain plants.
3. A. sciapodous B. sciapedous C. cyapodous D. psyapodous E. siapodus
This word is from Greek-derived Latin.
(adjective) having very large feet.
The fable was about a mythical _____ people who used their feet as sunshades.
4. A. ruservine B. rucervine C. roucervine D. rusirvine E. roocervine
This word is made up of an originally Hindi part and an originally Latin part plus an English combining form.
(adjective) of, relating to or like a deer of the genus _____.
The graceful swamp deer of India, which belongs to the _____ group, is on the endangered species list compiled by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
5. A. epollocate B. epollucate C. epolicate D. epollicate E. epaulicate
This word is formed from two Latin elements plus an English combining form.
(adjective) lacking a thumb.
Having been born with his left hand _____ has never posed any serious limitations to Harvey.
6. A. indiscerptible B. indiscerptable C. indisserptable D. indisserptible E. indecerptible
This word is from Latin.
(adjective) not subject to being separated into parts.
Before the 20th century, most people believed that the atom was _____.
7. A. subornast B. sobornost C. subbornast D. suborgnost E. sabornost
This word is from Russian.
(noun) spiritual harmony based on freedom and unity in love : ecumenicity.
_____ was a laudable goal of the revolution, but it was not one of the outcomes.
8. A. passum B. passym C. pacim D. pacem E. passim
This word is from Latin.
(adverb) here and there : throughout — used especially with the name of a book or writer to indicate that something (as a word, phrase or idea) is to be found at many places in the same book or writer’s work.
The lecturer noted that references to earlier works of Greek and Latin poetry could be found _____ in John Milton’s famous epic poem, “Paradise Lost.”
9. A. aveurdupois B. averdepois C. avoirdepois D. avoirdupois E. aveurdupoise
This word is from French.
(adjective) expressed in the series of units of weight based on the pound of 16 ounces and the ounce of 16 drams.
One troy ounce is equivalent to approximately 1.1 ounces _____.
10. A. zoupa anglaise B. zuppa inglese C. suppa ingleze D. zupa englese E. suppa inglese
This word is from Italian.
(noun) a dessert consisting of sponge cake and custard or pudding that is flavored with rum, covered with cream and garnished with fruit.
After his dance performance, Maurizio ate a double helping of _____ for dessert.
11. A. dile B. dhiel C. dial D. diel E. deil
This word was formed in English from a Latin word.
(adjective) involving a 24-hour period that usually includes a day and the adjoining night — used chiefly in ecology.
For the experiment, scientists collected information at many different times of day in order to ensure that their data came from throughout the _____ cycle.
Please pay careful attention to the definition and part of speech. This word has a homonym or could be confused with a word that has a similar pronunciation.
12. A. Ljubljana B. Lijublianna C. Liubliana D. Lyublyana E. Ljubljanna
This word is a southern European geographical name.
(geographical entry) a city on the Sava River in central Slovenia.
_____ is the capital and largest city of Slovenia.

Words

grok
dissilient
sciapodous
rucervine
epollicate
indiscerptible
sobornost
passim
avoirdupois
zuppa inglese
diel
Ljubljana

Vocabulary

Test Questions

13. If you take flak from someone, you:
A. help them by taking on some of their responsibility
B. take credit for their work
C. receive criticism from them
D. discourage them
14. Which of the following is closest in meaning to restive?
A. fidgety
B. refreshing
C. full
D. residual
15. Something that is exculpatory:
A. vindicates someone
B. causes an accident
C. explains in depth
D. cuts like a knife
16. What does it mean for someone to raise Cain?
A. work on a poultry farm
B. bring up old issues or grievances
C. engage in a futile or fruitless enterprise
D. create a disturbance through wild behavior
17. An ailurophile would be most likely to have which of the following?
A. a full set of Limoges china
B. several kittens
C. an herb garden
D. a private airplane
18. What is a megillah?
A. a long involved story
B. a religious vestment
C. a southern African warthog
D. a soup dumpling
19. Pyrosis is a synonym for:
A. blushing
B. bad breath
C. heartburn
D. headache
20. What is a haymaker?
A. a successful salesperson
B. a knockout punch
C. a huge rainstorm
D. a hot, sunny day
21. If something is cyclopean, it is:
A. massive
B. recurring
C. informative
D. presentient
22. Which of these is a tritaph?
A. a three-legged support for a camera or telescope
B. a machine used for threshing grain
C. a tomb containing three chambers
D. a weekly lesson read from the Jewish scripture
23. Which of the following is another way to refer to an artist manqué?
A. a famous artist
B. a frustrated artist
C. a cartoonist
D. an art critic
24. Dianoia is:
A. the delusion of grandeur
B. relentless optimism
C. a process of thinking
D. fear of death

Correct Answers

13. If you take flak from someone, you: Answer: receive criticism from them
14. Which of the following is closest in meaning to restive? Answer: fidgety
15. Something that is exculpatory: Answer: vindicates someone
16. What does it mean for someone to raise Cain? Answer: create a disturbance through wild behavior
17. An ailurophile would be most likely to have which of the following? Answer: several kittens
18. What is a megillah? Answer: a long involved story
19. Pyrosis is a synonym for: Answer: heartburn
20. What is a haymaker? Answer: a knockout punch
21. If something is cyclopean, it is: Answer: massive
22. Which of these is a tritaph? Answer: a tomb containing three chambers
23. Which of the following is another way to refer to an artist manqué? Answer: a frustrated artist
24. Dianoia is: Answer: a process of thinking

Words

flak
restive
exculpatory
raise Cain
ailurophile
megillah
pyrosis
haymaker
cyclopean
tritaph
manqué
dianoia

All Words

Spelling Vocabulary
grok flak
dissilient restive
sciapodous exculpatory
rucervine raise Cain
epollicate ailurophile
indiscerptible megillah
sobornost pyrosis
passim haymaker
avoirdupois cyclopean
zuppa inglese tritaph
diel manqué
Ljubljana dianoia

Round Results

Preliminaries Finals (First Stage) Finals (Second Stage)
Preliminaries Test Round 4 Round 9
Round 2 Vocabulary Round 5 Round 10
Round 2 Round 6 Round 11
Round 3 Vocabulary Round 7 Round 12
Round 3 Round 8 Round 13
Round 14
Round 15
Round 16
Round 17
Round 18
Round 19
Round 20

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